


Just A Kiss (2009)

by JennyB



Series: Advent 2009 [1]
Category: Saiyuki
Genre: Advent Challenge 2009, First Kiss, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-12-01
Updated: 2009-12-01
Packaged: 2018-01-05 11:40:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,783
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1093482
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JennyB/pseuds/JennyB
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Hakkai invites Sanzo and Goku to Christmas dinner in an attempt to rekindle their seemingly waning friendship.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Just A Kiss (2009)

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Advent Challenge 2009. Prompt: Under the mistletoe

The mission had ended that fall. Gojyo had opted to stay at Houtou with his brother, and Sanzo, Hakkai and Goku had returned to Chang'an. It had been a quiet couple of months. From time to time, Hakkai would stop by the temple for a visit, but the majority of his time was spent between fixing up the old cottage that he and Gojyo had once shared and his new job teaching at the local school. That bothered Sanzo more than he cared to admit. After all, when they'd returned, he'd thought that he'd have the opportunity to cultivate a deeper relationship with the healer. Instead, he felt as though the other was growing more distant, and he wondered if the day would come when the two of them would just stop seeing each other altogether.

Toward the end of December, he'd been somewhat surprised - albeit pleasantly - to find Hakkai in his office for a visit. "Did you forget your way to the temple?" he'd asked gruffly as he'd smoked a cigarette while he'd poured them some tea, the smirk belying the snark.

Hakkai had chuckled at that. "No more than you've forgotten your way to the village," he'd replied in turn as he'd smiled around the rim of his cup. "But actually, that's sort of why I'm here," he'd continued. "As you know, Christmas is coming up and I've decided to prepare a traditional dinner. I'd like to invite you and Goku to join me, and -"

"Hakkai, I'm Buddhist," Sanzo had interrupted as he'd taken a final drag off his smoke and ground out the filter. "And technically, so are you now."

The brunet had laughed at that. "Yes, I suppose that _is_ true. However, that doesn't mean I've completely shunned all of the old customs I've grown up with, either. Besides, if you don't want to acknowledge the actual holiday, then just come for the meal and the company - the whole togetherness of the season. Surely you can accept for those reasons, ne?" His expression had turned slightly wistful then. "And, I'm sure you'll think it foolish of me, but I _miss_ you and Goku. I'd...gotten used to having you around, and it's -" He'd cut himself off and fallen silent then, but he'd reached across Sanzo's desk and picked up his pen and a scrap of paper to jot down the date and time for the blond. "You don't have to answer me today, but please think about it." He'd given the priest a soft, genuine smile then as he'd made his way to the door. "I hope to see you on the twenty-fifth."

Sanzo had given him a non-committal grunt in return, but in the back of his mind, he'd already known that he'd be there. After all, even though he'd never admit it to another living soul, he was a sucker when it came to that smile.

A light snow was falling on Christmas Day as he and Goku walked into the village toward Hakkai's. As they made their way up the shovelled path to the door, Sanzo realized that this was the first time he'd been to the healer's home since they'd returned. That also bothered him. It wasn't that he'd never been invited; rather, he'd just always found a reason not to go. It had always been more convenient to put the onus of maintaining their friendship on Hakkai. It was easier to avoid rejection that way. He was vaguely aware of Goku chattering away excitedly to him, and as he reached out a gloved hand and knocked on the door, he muttered a warning to the teen that he'd better shut up and behave himself, or he'd leave him on the porch to wait until he'd finished.

When Hakkai opened the door, Sanzo was left momentarily speechless. The brunet was wearing a soft, cream coloured turtleneck and black cotton pants - a far cry from the khakis and Chinese shirts he'd worn during their mission. He thought about the old jeans and sweater he was currently wearing, and a twinge of colour crept into his cheeks as he met the bespectacled eyes. However, the demon didn't seem at all offended as the green sparkled happily from behind the lenses. "Hey," he greeted, and he flicked the heater of his cigarette out onto the sidewalk.

"Merry Christmas, Sanzo," Hakkai replied softly. "And to you too, Goku," he added with a smile as he let them both in. Once he'd taken their coats, he showed them to the living room and invited them to have a seat while he finished up in the kitchen.

"Oh man, it smells amazing in here, Hakkai!" Goku exclaimed, and when he saw that there was a plate of mixed nuts and dried fruits on the coffee table, he asked, "Hey, can I eat this?"

"Yes, Goku, you may," Hakkai called back from the kitchen. "Though make sure you don't spoil your dinner. We have quite a feast tonight."

The younger male just laughed at that. "Not a chance of that happening," he remarked as he grabbed a handful of the snacks. As he sat back against the couch, he looked around. "Ne, Hakkai? It looks a lot different in here than it did when Gojyo was still here. But, I like it better. It feels more...I don't know..."

"Cozy," Sanzo finished. He, too, had been taking note of his surroundings. Hakkai had done a considerable amount of redecorating, and the cottage looked more like a home now than a frat house. He smiled a little as he took note of the small Christmas tree Hakkai had set on the credenza, and the bowl of candy canes that Goku had yet to discover. Hakkai's festive touches were quiet and subtle, and he found himself rather mesmerized by the twinkling mini-lights. If nothing, they were quite pretty and added a soft warmth to the room.

"Do you think so?" Hakkai asked as he carried a bowl full of mashed potatoes and another with cranberry stuffing to the small dining table. "I felt a little guilty when I boxed up Gojyo's things and sent them to him, but he's moved on with his life, and I felt that it was time for me to, too." A soft, slightly melancholy smile briefly turned the corners of his lips up. "After all, there's no sense living in a past I can't change, ne?" He disappeared back into the kitchen, returning a moment later with steamed corn, cranberry sauce, gravy and homemade rolls. As he carried out the platter with the turkey on it, he said, "Alright. Dinner is served." He set the meat down on the already heavily laden table, and then lit the two taper candles he'd set out.

Goku didn't need to be asked twice, and he was at his place in a flash. Golden eyes sparkled in anticipation, and he nearly moaned as he said, "It all looks so yummy!" His eyes flicked to the priest, who was still sitting in the living room, seemingly lost in thought. "Ne, Sanzo! Get your ass over here so we can eat. I'm starving!"

Hakkai chuckled softly; he truly had missed the younger brunet's enthusiasm. However, when the blond didn't move right away, he frowned a little in worry and went to check on his friend. "Sanzo? Is something the matter?"

The priest looked up at that, something akin to wistfulness briefly flashing across the cool violet. He wanted to ask Hakkai if 'moving on' included him, too, but a quick glance at Goku stayed the question. "No," he replied brusquely as he got to his feet. "I was just, uh...staring at your tree. The twinkling is kind of hypnotic." He lightly brushed past the healer and took his place at the table, sparing a glance at his host when Hakkai sat down. The brunet was looking at him strangely, and Sanzo knew that the other knew he was lying. He also knew that Hakkai wouldn't press the issue - at least, not while Goku was around.

Hakkai, as expected, let the incident go, and he began passing the dishes around to his friends so that they could eat. The meal progressed in companionable silence for the most part, along with amicable conversation about the daily goings-on in their lives. Hakkai talked about his students, Sanzo bitched about the monks at the temple, and Goku told them about how he worked sometimes as a labourer for some of the villagers, doing odd jobs that required his brawn. By the time they had finished eating, Hakkai was not surprised to see that there weren't a lot of leftovers, and in exchange for getting Goku's help to clear the table and clean up, he promised he'd prepare a to-go box for the teen to take with him for when he left. He had Goku carry the teapot and three cups back to the table, and Hakkai brought a pumpkin pie out. He cut a small sliver of the dessert for Sanzo and himself, and with a smirk, the healer simply stuck a fork in the remainder of it and passed it over to Goku.

"This is really, really good!" Goku exclaimed as he tucked into the pastry, and he gave Hakkai a glowing smile. "Thanks again, Hakkai, this was great!"

"I'm so glad you enjoyed it," the healer replied sincerely. "And I'm very happy that you and Sanzo could come. It was a better gift than I had hoped."

"Huh?" Golden eyes looked at him in confusion, though the younger male seemed to just as quickly dismiss it when he saw his friend simply shake his head and hold up a hand as if to say _It's nothing_. When he was finished with his pie, he pushed the plate away and sat back in his chair, only to frown a little and point to something hanging in the archway between the dining room and living room. "Ne, Hakkai? What's that?" he asked of the beribboned sprig of leaves with the white berries. "It looks good! Can I have it?"

"You just finished eating!" Sanzo growled, and he gave the teen a kick under the table to silently tell him to behave.

Hakkai chuckled a little. "Oh, no, Goku. That's mistletoe. I'm afraid the berries can be toxic. At the very least, they'd probably make you sick."

"Oh. Well, if you're not going to eat it, what's it for?"

Hakkai smiled softly. "It's just one of those Christmas traditions that have sort of stuck. The theory is that if you hang mistletoe, if two people are caught under it, they give each other a kiss."

Goku looked at him in disbelief. "Bullshit. That sounds like something Gojyo would make up. Pervy water sprite," he muttered.

Despite himself, Hakkai laughed. "No, really. The legend is based in Norse mythology - you remember, the Vikings?" He smiled a bit when he saw the other nod. "The plant is supposedly linked to Frigga, the Goddess of Love. The story goes that her son, Balder, had a dream of death, and greatly worried by this, she went to visit all the elements and plants and animals to beg them that no harm come to her son. Unfortunately, she overlooked mistletoe, as it didn't grow on the earth, but up high in the branches of oak trees. Loki, the prankster, took the mistletoe and made an arrowhead from it, and tricked the blind god of winter to shoot the arrow, which killed Balder. For three days, each element tried to bring him back to life, but they were unsuccessful. Frigga wept for her loss, and as her tears fell upon the mistletoe, they turned the red berries white, and Balder returned to life. In her joy, she kissed everyone who passed beneath the tree on which the mistletoe grew, and mistletoe changed from a harbinger of death to a symbol of love. The story ends with her decreeing that no harm will befall anyone who stands under the mistletoe - just a kiss; a token of love."

Goku smiled as Hakkai finished his story. "Huh. That's...kind of cool. But really, Hakkai, don't tell Gojyo about that, or he'll use it as an excuse to make out with every girl he sees."

The green-eyed brunet laughed softly. "I promise, I won't tell him." His smile faded a little when he saw that his guests were starting to get ready to leave, and he couldn't believe how quickly the evening had gone by. He got to his feet and cleared away the dishes while they put on their coats and boots, and then joined them in the foyer, handing Goku his bundle of leftovers. "Thank you both for coming tonight. And please, don't be strangers, ne?"

The teen grinned, and hugged his friend good-bye. "We won't be. At least _I_ won't be! I'll come see you in a few days. Is that ok?"

"Yes, it's very ok, Goku. Thank you."

The youngest male nodded, and he stepped out into the cold. "Come on, Sanzo! It's freezing out here!"

"Start walking," the blond growled. "I'll catch up to you in a minute."

"Why? What do you have to -"

Sanzo never heard the end of the question, as he'd slammed the door essentially in his ward's face. His expression was unreadable as he looked up at the healer, and he clenched his jaw slightly.

"Sanzo? Is something the matter?" Hakkai asked him, somewhat concerned by his friend's behaviour. "Have I done something to upset you?"

"No...yes. Maybe."

The brunet's brow furrowed in confusion, and he laughed hesitantly. "Which is it?"

"Shut up, Hakkai." With that, the priest moved forward and grabbed the other by his shirt, backing him across the room to the doorway, and he kissed him soundly beneath the mistletoe.

For a moment, Hakkai's eyes widened in surprise when he was grabbed - going even wider when he felt soft, warm lips against his own. But, after a moment, he relaxed into the kiss, his eyes falling closed as his arms went loosely around the other's waist. For what seemed like an eternity, they remained like that, communicating to each other the loneliness they felt, and their worry about losing the friendship they'd had. Everything that they couldn't put into words. And then, all too quickly, it was over, and they parted. Hakkai smiled softly as he lightly sucked his lower lip. The kiss had been chaste and platonic, but at the same time, he had felt the affection and emotion behind the gesture. He could see that Sanzo was searching for something to say, and he shook his head and gently pressed a finger to his lips. "It's ok," he said quietly as he dropped his hand away. "I've missed you, too. And I don't want to lose your friendship, either." He glanced up at the small sprig of mistletoe, and his smile widened. "That said, will you please tell me what had your mind so occupied earlier? I know it wasn't the lights."

For a few moments, the blond didn't reply. Finally, he murmured lowly, "You said that you were tired of living in the past. I'd just wondered if -"

"No, Sanzo," Hakkai replied gently as he interrupted him. "However, now that we know we both want the same thing, why don't we at least meet for tea once a week? Say, Sunday afternoons?"

The priest thought about that for a moment. That was safe and doable, and it would allow him see Hakkai on a regular basis. "Alright. We'll meet at the temple this Sunday." His mouth curved up in a soft smile, though the expression faded when he opened the door and saw that Goku was still standing there. "Idiot," he growled. "I thought I told you to start walking!"

"Yeah, but Sanzo, I - oof!" Goku grunted as he was shoved backwards and into a snow bank. "What'd you do that for, you big, mean dumbass?"

Ignoring the protesting teen as he struggled to get up, Sanzo sauntered past him, and he lit up a cigarette when he reached the sidewalk. "Merry Christmas, Hakkai." With a wave, he started walking back to the temple, his hands shoved deep in his pockets.

Hakkai chuckled softly, and when he saw that Goku had freed himself and was running after the blond, he closed the door. "Merry Christmas to you, too," he murmured, and then he looked around, his gaze landing on the sprig of mistletoe. A small, private smile settled on his face as he looked at the unassuming plant. Granted, he was still alone, but for the first time in months, he wasn't lonely.


End file.
